Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 90 — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

sp ! Ree: The Dread Rider. — Then a slight noise broke upon the stillness of the night. This was quickly followed by a whirring, whizzing sound, and a lasso, thrown by a skill- ful hand, coiled down around her shoulders; the noose tightened, pinioning her arms to her side with a vise-like grip, and Bessie Raymun was a helpless prisoner. ‘* How now, my beautiful tigress?” cried the masked outlaw, exultantly, seizing the lasso, when a third man came up from the rear, lead- ing by the bridle a coal-black horse. ‘Back, cowardly dogs!” cried Bessie, with flashing eyes, as if her words could keep the desperadoes at bay. ‘No time for fooling!” growled the outlaw, as he rudely seized her; when, with all her power, she gave a sharp, piercing cry for help, that rung out upon the still air with startling distinctness. ‘“‘Curse you!” cried her masked captor, ‘ an- other cry like that and [ll shoot you as I would a dog!” His companion, evidently thinking he had a troublesome captive, stepped forward to his aid, when accidentally dropping the rein to the bridle of Curt’s horse, the animal wheeled and galloped madly away. ** Devils!” exclaimed the outlaw leader, as he secured his captive’s hands, after first ap- propriating her revolver to his own use, ‘‘ we shall have all Shelby down upon us!” The next instant he sprung upon the back of his midnight steed; and the others placing the captive behind him, with the injunction to keep her position upon the peril of her life, ke plowed the spurs into the sides of his horse, and dashed out of the grove upon the plain, heading away for the Red Lands, leaving his companions to shift for themselves. As the wild cry for help from Bessie Ray- mun rung out far and wide upon the stillness of the night, a horseman coming down from above paused by the edge of the chaparral up- on Chester plain. He had heard the startling cry, and was waiting for its repetition, or something to explain its cause, The man was none other than Mark Waring, mounted upon his fleet, dark-brown mare. Thinking he must, have been mistaken, Mark was about to move on, when suddenly his eagle eyes caught sight of a horseman rid- ing out of the acacia growth upon the prairie ahead. The pale light of the moon was suffi- cient for him to see that the horse bore a double burden, and that the second person was a woman, ‘“By Jove!” he exclaimed, “‘I could swear that that is the masked outlaw upon his black horse; and the other one is Bessie Raymun! My God! there is some deviltry afloat, or I’m no judge.” For a few moments, Mark watched the out- law and his captive as they rode out upon the plain, steering in a westerly direction though nearing the chaparral; but he seemed uneasy, glancing first up and down the prairie, and then toward the fast approaching horseman, until suddenly he broke forth: “By heavens! ’tis my only chance! I can but fail! I will doit! Now or never!” With Mark Waring, to think was to act; and as he gave utterance to the words, he pat- ted the neck of his spirited mare, when touch- ing her lightly with the spur he shot swiftly out from the shadow of the chaparral, the long grass of the plain muffling the hoof-strokes of his faithful animal. On, on, over the grass-covered prairie, swift almost as the lightning’s flash, noiseless as the swoop of an eagle, seemed to fly the reckless Regulator, nearer, nearer, to the fleeing out- law, whom he was approaching in a diagonal direction. His attention divided between his captive and his wearied horse, expecting danger only trom the rear, the outlaw kept straight upon his course, noticing not the dark form that so suddenly left the chaparral, thus unconscious of the silent yet swift approach of the Re- gulator, until the latter was almost upon him, | anda collision seemed inevitable. Then, too late to turn aside, he could but keep on, hoping to escape by the fleetness of his horse. Erect and firm in his saddle, with a calm, fearless determination, having full confidence in himself and steed for the hazardous task, Mark rushed down upon the outlaw with light- ning speed, so near that his leg brushed the other’s as he dashed by; and in that single in- stant—that flash of a moment—his strong arm encircled the waist of the captive, and she was lifted from the back of the bandit’s horse upon ths withers of his own as if she had been but a child, while on, on rode the daring Regulator without even slackening his speed. Quick as possible the masked outlaw reins in his horse, and wheels about, not expecting to retrieve what he has lost, but more from curi- osity. Only for a moment, however, does he pause; only for a moment does he watch the fast retreating Regulator; the sight of another horseman coming out of the motte of timber below the chaparral seems to warn him of im- pending danger, and again he is riding for the Red Lands; though looking back a moment later he sees that that new-comer whether friend or foe has suddenly disappeared. Mark Waring was no less startled by ths sudden appearance of the horseman than the outlaw, though from a different cause, His first warning of the other’s approach was a hoarse, sardonic laugh; and then he saw shoot by him, within two rods, distance, outlined in the pale, somber moonlight with awe-striking distinctness, the form of a wild-looking man, mounted upon a dark, powerful horse, whose head, as he plainly saw, was free from bit or bridle. There was thatin the horseman which caus- ed the mind of the Regulator to go back to that mysterious unknown who had fallen in the duel with Curt Dash, and whom he himself had helped to bury by the edge of Chester chapar- ral; the horse, too, seemed the same bridleless roan that broke from the grasp of old Gil Rey, A moment later Mark rode into the grove, and was soon met by Curt Dash, who had re- covered from the effects of the outlaw’s blow, and half a dozen others, summoned thither by Bessie’s cry—among them her father. A few words served to explain all, when Mark was heartily thanked by the colonel and his ‘daughter for the service he had rendered, and commended for his gallant act by the others. “Tut, tut, friends!” exclaimed the sturdy Regulator, firmly, blushing like a school-girl beneath the steady fire of praise, ‘‘1 ask no thanks for doing what I deemed my duty; and as my services are no longer needed, I must bid you ‘‘ good-night.” The next instant he was riding toward Con rad Mansion at a smart canter. ‘‘A strange, but noble, true-hearted man, said the colonel, as Mark rode away. ‘‘ All of that,” assented the Regulator chief, though the words were spoken in a tone which seemed to imply that he but half believed them,” But, colonel, Miss Raymun, I, too, must bid you “good-night,” and hasten back to the Prairie Home, where I think I am more needed, as something must be done immediate- ly to ferret out these outlaws, and punish them for this night’s work.” Leaving Colonel Raymun and Bessie to seek the rest they so much need after the stirring events through which they have just passed, Curt Dash to return to the Prairie Home, and Mark Waring to follow the bent of his own in- clination, we will go back to record one other incident of startling importance before we close this chapter. None were more active that eventful night than the old mountaineer, Gil Rey, who, ably seconded by another of his own stamp— a boon companion—the well-known Truman Williams, familiarly called by the abbreviated name True Bill, continued the search long after it had been abandoned by others But at last they were fain to acknowledge themselves ‘‘ beaten,” and turned back for Burley’s. When nearing the chaparral, the horse of Gil Rey, who was a little in advance, frightened at an object in the ( path ahead, sprung to one side, nearly upseat- ing its rider. “ Hor God’s sake, Bill! what’s that?” cried Gil Rey, reining in his rearing animal. ‘“‘Good Heaven, Gil! it’s Captain Ned, or I’m a living liar!” answered the other, as he leaped from the back of his horse, and ap- proached the object. Sure enough, cold and stark in death, lay before them the body of Captain Kelley! CHAPTER VIII. DANDY ROCK MEETS HIS FOR, Aut Chesterville seemed ready and deter- mined to take arms against the outlaws. Few were there who had not suffered by their de- predation. Many had lost heavily. But it was not for plundered property they cared so much, This, though it would have ordinari- ly excited them to action, was now almost for- gotten. The fate of Captain Kelley and Will Manners was uppermost in every mind, Many and fierce were the threats offered against the outlawed band. Some of the most impulsive were for every man in the settlement to shoul- der his gun, all to proceed in a body to the ‘Red Lands,” ferret out the banditti, and ex- terminate the whole gang at one swoop. The plan met with a stern rebuke from the Regulator chief. It would leave their homes entirely unprotected; and while they were searching for the outlaws, the latter might wreak a terrible work. Then, again, they knew not even the direction in which their foes were located. | It was soon proposed and accepted, as the most feasible plan, that before any decided | movement should be taken, some of the best scouts in the place should proceed to the Red Lands ‘and institute a careful and thorough reconnoissance for the rendezvous of the rob- bers. If successful, then active movements would be taken to rid Shelby county of its dreaded foes. : Half a dozen Regulators were quickly se- lected for the hazardous enterprise. Others would have willingly joined, but this was deemed a sufficient number. And it was de- cided that they should not proceed in a body, but separate, and act singly, or, perhaps, in pairs. However, it was considered best to keep together until near their destination, when they could act as circumstances would seem to warrant. Thus, without delay, the hardy scouts mounted their horses, and, with the good wishes of the others for their success, were soon riding out of the bottom timber to the west of the Prairie Home, heading across the plain, hoping to reach the Red Lands before the rising of the morrow’s sun. Those left be- hind repaired to their homes, and the night for Chesterville which had commenced s0 pro- pitiously, been so fearfully eventful, ended with the calm that invariably follows the storm, The first rays of the rising sun were tinging the eastern horizon with a crimson light as the Regulators drew rein under the lofty branches of a huge sycamore, the largest tree to be found in all that broken waste, its towering form, for years stricken with decay, rising far above the stunted growth that surrounded it, making it a conspicuous mark for the traveler, and gaining for itself the name of the ‘ Prairie Sentinel,” by which it was distinguished throughout Shelby. This stood buta short dis- tance from that wild, rock-bound ravine known as the ‘“‘ Black Gulch.” _ : As yet no indications of their enemies had been found; but the time for work had come, In a few words the leader, none other than the Regulator chief himself, unfolded his plans, Curt, accompanied by Gil Rey, was to take a westerly course, following on as far as they should deem proper. Two of the’ others —one the well-known Texan borderer, Mexican Pete, who was familiar with every inch of the Southwestern frontier, and Long Gus Durrel, a tall, gaunt, hawk-eyed Yankee, who, as guide, trailer and Indian-fighter, had been the hero of some ‘‘tall doin’s,” and was known to be & | GONE O}ONO) com